The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading a medical image obtained through radiographing of a subject.
Radiographic images obtained by using X-rays are commonly used as a medical image for diagnoses of a disease. There have been used widely the so-called radiographs which are obtained by applying X-rays transmitted through a subject to a phosphor layer (a fluorescent screen) to produce visible rays, by applying the visible rays to a film employing silver halide in the same way as in the ordinary photography and by developing the film to obtain the radiographic images.
In recent years, however, there have been developed methods wherein images are taken out of a phosphor layer without using a film coated with silver halide. These methods are represented by a method wherein radiations transmitted through a subject are absorbed in a phosphor, then, the phosphor is excited by light or heat energies, for example, so that radiation energies accumulated in the phosphor through the aforesaid absorption may be made to radiate as fluorescence (luminescence), and this fluorescence is converted photoelectrically to obtain image signals.
To be concrete, U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,527 and TOKKAISHO No. 55-12144 disclose a method for converting radiographic images wherein a stimulant phosphor is used and visible rays or infrared rays are used as stimulating and exciting light. This method is one wherein a radiographic image conversion panel in which a stimulant phosphor layer is formed on a support is used, radiations transmitted through a subject are applied to the stimulant phosphor layer of the conversion panel to accumulate radiation energies corresponding to radiation transmittance of each region of the subject to form a latent image, and then, the stimulant layer is scanned by the stimulating and exciting light to make the accumulated radiation energies to radiate to be converted into light, and this light signal is converted photoelectrically to obtain a radiographic image signal.
The radiographic image signal thus obtained is outputted on a silver halide film or on CRT as it is or after being subjected to image processing, to be visualized or filed in an electronic filing device.
(First Problem)
Even in the case of urgent radiographing, it is necessary to input order information such as names of regions to be radiographed and image processing conditions about regions to be radiographed before radiographing. Namely, order information such as regions to be radiographed is decided in advance because a level of a signal recorded in a film varies depending on a region to be radiographed, and thereby, reading and image processing are executed at an appropriate signal level from the film. Incidentally, there has been required a long time before the start of actual radiographing, because of necessity to input order information before radiographing. In a medical service site, in particular, there is an occasion where urgent radiographing is required, depending on conditions of a patient, and it is important for an apparatus handling medical images to be capable of coping with urgent rediographing.
There will be explained in detail as follows.
When radiographing in a hospital, a region to be radiographed varies for each radiographing in many cases. For example, there are many cases wherein regions to be radiographed on a body are changed in succession for each radiographing, such as radiographing a chest region after raadiographing an abdominal region. It is usually necessary to optimize a size of radiographing and image processing for each region to obtain optimum image quality and radiographing time. For example, reading conditions and image processing in radiographing of viscera in an abdominal region are greatly different from those in radiographing of thorax bones.
In the case of a patient in emergency, however, radiographing that requires less time and labor of inputting at the sacrifice of optimum size and image processing is preferred, because it is necessary to hurry up. The reason for the foregoing is that operations of several times are needed for inputting the contents stated above.
There is further available a radiographic image system wherein a cassette that houses therein a film is used to radiograph with a radiographing device and a reader is used for reading. In the case of this radiographic image system, when a plurality of cassettes are used, order information input, radiographing and reading are conducted in this order, but radiographing and reading are conducted in a separate apparatus, which results in a problem that correspondence between each cassette and each radiographing is not clear.
In other words, when radiographing by the use of an Xray detection plate housed in a cassette, it is necessary to store the relationship between information of the region radiographed by a radiographer and a cassette housing the plate, until the image that is read through image reading is related with region information concerning the region radiographed, the plate subjected to X-ray exposure is not subjected to image reading as it is. Further, when a plate is registered in advance for the region to be radiographed, it is necessary to store until radiographing of the region to be radiographed and image reading thereof are completed.
However, when a change of image reading conditions for the region to be radiographed is not important, the necessity to input in advance the relationship between the region to be radiographed and a plate, or between the region to be radiographed and a cassette housing therein the plate is low. Therefore, there are some cases where no inputting is desirable from the viewpoint of efficiency.
Further, in some cases in a hospital, doctors in charge take turns depending on a time zone, such as a day of the week, the forenoon and the afternoon. For example, there is a case where doctor A in the internal department takes charge of the most part of chest regions, while doctor B in the department of surgery takes charge of the most part of lumbar vertebrae and appendicular skeleton. In this case, frequency of regions to be radiographed varies depending on the doctor. Therefore, by changing the order of regions to be radiographed on the display screen that is for selecting a region to be radiographed for each day of the week and each time zone, an operator can select the region to be radiographed easily.
(Second Problem)
In the case of radiographing for radiographic images and reading of images obtained through radiographing, it is necessary for an operator to input operation procedures concerning the radiographing and reading from an operation section.
On the conventional apparatus in general, there is provided an input means that is composed of a detection means such as a touch panel which detects key input and of a display means such as a display in which a touch panel is pasted on the surface for conducting key display corresponding to an input position for key input of the detection means.
Thus, radiographing and reading are executed by the apparatus in accordance with operation procedures inputted by the aforesaid input means.
Incidentally, display of key is in a single color in general, and its arrangement has been specific to the apparatus. Or, the key arrangement has been one established for the apparatus by an operator or a serviceman in advance.
In such a case, it sometimes happens that body parts examined (regions) to be radiographed (head region, neck region, chest region, abdominal region, backbone, upper limb, lower limb, . . . ) for example, amount to 200 types or more. Therefore, one screen is not enough to display, and it has been necessary to search the desired region by advancing pages and thereby by switching screens. Accordingly, operations are complicated, and a long time has been required for searching the desired region and deciding it. Further, it can also be considered to display on one screen on a tabulated and thumbnailed display basis, which, however, is not easy to use.
In addition, for other items wherein many selection items are present, similar problems have been caused in the same way as in regions to be radiographed.
Incidentally, even in the case where an operator has set the desired key arrangement, when an item having a high frequency of usage is changed with the lapse of time and with a change in the state of usage, it is impossible to conduct efficient input unless the key arrangement is made, which has been a problem. Namely, a function like a learning function is not provided.
When conducting setting, it is necessary to obtain by calculating regions to be radiographed and frequency of usage. Further, it is naturally thought that regions to be radiographed and frequency of usage are changed for each month, each week and each day of the week. However, simple calculation of frequency has made it impossible to cope with the detailed state (frequency of the specific item goes up at the end of the month).
The invention has been achieved in view of the first problem stated above, and its first object is to realize a medical image reading apparatus wherein a period of time by input of order information up to the start of radiographing can be shortened and order information can be inputted by grasping contents of a plurality of cassettes which have been subjected to radiographing.
An object is to provide a medical image reading apparatus which requires less time and labor and can read quickly the images resulted from radiographing, in case of emergency. Namely, an object is to provide a medical image reading apparatus which can read images resulted from radiographing with operations requiring less time and labor in case of emergency, while being capable of radiographing usually at optimum image quality and radiographing time.
The invention has been achieved in view of the second problem stated above, and its second object is to realize a medical image reading apparatus capable of conducting key input concerning radiographing and reading easily without conducting specific setting.
Further object is to provide a medical image reading apparatus wherein it is possible to select between an operation mode wherein it is possible to use region information when reading images on a plate and an operation mode wherein it is possible to input region information after confirming images on a plate without using region information, when reading images on the plate. Further, an object is to provide a medical image reading apparatus wherein, by designating the region after confirming an image, it is possible to lower chances to conduct image processing based on the region information under the wrong correspondence between the image and the region information, and it is possible to apply image processing optimized for the region and to use the optimum image for diagnosis.
The invention solving the problems stated above is represented by the following structures.
(1-1) A medical image reading apparatus comprises:
a controller to conduct an operation control on one of a first operation mode to execute reading a medical image after order information with regard to the reading the medical image is inputted and a second operation mode to execute reading a medical image before the order information with regard to the reading the medical image is inputted; and
a reader to conduct the reading the medical image based on the operation control by the controller.
(1-2) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a radiographing device to conduct radiographing the medical image based on the operation control by the controller.
(1-3) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the first operation mode is an operation mode to execute reading the medical image after the order information with regard to the reading the medical image is inputted and to further conduct outputting an image of the medical image and the second operation mode is an operation mode to execute reading the medical image before the order information with regard to the reading the medical image is inputted and to further conduct outputting an image of the medical image after displaying the read medical image.
(1-4) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the reader has a reading region whose size is changeable, and when the reader conducts reading on the second mode, the reader uses the largest usable reading region.
(1-5) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a displaying device to conduct a key display;
a detector to detect a key input corresponding to the key display; and
a key display controller to control the key display by the display, wherein the key display controller executes a control to change an arrangement of the key display for each radiographing frequency.
(1-6) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-5), the key display controller calculates periodically the radiographing frequency in a predetermined period and executes the control to change the arrangement of the key display.
(1-7) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-6), the key display controller calculates periodically the radiographing frequency for each of at least one of a predetermined month, a predetermined week, a predetermined day of a week and a predetermined time and executes the control to change the arrangement of the key display.
(1-8) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-5), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a notifying device to notify the change in the arrangement of the key display, wherein the notifying device notifies the change in the arrangement of the key display when the key display controller executes the control to change the arrangement of the key display.
(1-9) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a displaying device to conduct a key display;
a detector to detect a key input corresponding to the key display; and
a key display controller to control the key display by the display, wherein the key display controller executes a control to change a color display of the key display for each radiographing frequency.
(1-10) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-9), the key display controller calculates periodically the radiographing frequency in a predetermined period and executes the control to change the color display of the key display.
(1-11) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-10), the key display controller calculates periodically the radiographing frequency for each of at least one of a predetermined month, a predetermined week, a predetermined day of a week and a predetermined time and executes the control to change the color display of the key display.
(1-12) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-9), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a notifying device to notify the change in the color display of the key display, wherein the notifying device notifies the change in the color display of the key display when the key display controller executes the control to change the color display of the key display.
(1-13) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a displaying device to conduct a key display;
a detector to detect a key input corresponding to the key display; and
a key display controller to control the key display by the display, wherein the key display controller executes a control to change a color display of the key display for each group of sections to be radiographed.
(1-14) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the medical image reading apparatus further comprises:
a displaying device to conduct a key display;
a detector to detect a key input corresponding to the key display; and
a key display controller to control the key display by the display, wherein the key display controller executes a control to change a color display of the key display for each reader.
(1-15) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), when the reading is conducted on the second operation mode, a medium sensitivity is used among possible settable sensitivities as a reading sensitivity of the reader.
(1-16) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), in the case that an image processing is conducted after the reading is conducted on the second operation mode, at least one kind of usable image processing is conducted regardless of a section to be radiographed.
(1-17) In the medical image reading apparatus of (1-1), the reader reads fluorescent light of a radiation image emitted from a phosphor sheet by irradiating an exciting beam on the phosphor sheet bearing a latent image of the radiation image, and
wherein when the reading is conducted on the second mode, a preliminary reading is firstly conducted in advance to a primary reading so as to obtain information of the radiation image recorded in the phosphor sheet by irradiating an exciting beam weaker than that used in the primary reading, and a reading sensitivity of the primary reading is set based on the information of the radiation image obtained by the preliminary reading.
Further, the above object may be attained by the following preferable structures.
(2-1) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a display means that conducts key display capable of coping with operations of radiographing or reading for a medical image, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the operations of the radiographing or the reading, and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each group of regions to be radiographed.
In this invention, it is possible to grasp easily a mass of groups of regions to be radiographed because a display color for key display for each group of regions to be radiographed is changed, and thereby, a region to be radiographed can be discovered easily, which makes operations concerning radiographing and reading easy.
(2-2) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a display means that conducts key display capable of coping with operations of radiographing or reading for a medical image, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the operations of the radiographing or the reading, and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each reader.
In this invention, it is possible to grasp easily distinction between a plurality of readers because a display color for key display for reader is changed, and thereby, a reader in a target can be discovered easily, which makes operations concerning radiographing and reading easy.
(2-3) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a display means that conducts key display capable of coping with operations of radiographing or reading for a medical image, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the operations of the radiographing or the reading, and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each frequency of radiographing.
In this invention, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens because a display color of key display for each frequency of radiographing is changed, which makes operations concerning radiographing and reading easy.
(2-4) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a detection means that detects key input of operations concerning radiographing or reading for a medical image, a display means that conducts key display corresponding to key input of the detection means, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the key input and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each group of regions to be radiographed.
In this invention, it is possible to grasp easily a mass of groups of regions to be radiographed because a display color for key display for each group of regions to be radiographed is changed, and thereby, a region to be radiographed in a target can be discovered easily, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-5) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a detection means that detects key input of operations concerning radiographing or reading for a medical image, a display means that conducts key display corresponding to key input of the detection means, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the key input and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each reader.
In this invention, it is possible to grasp easily distinction between a plurality of readers because a display color for key display for each reader (standing posture/lying posture) is changed, and thereby, a reader in a target can be discovered easily, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-6) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a detection means that detects key input of operations concerning radiographing or reading for a medical image, a display means that conducts key display corresponding to key input of the detection means, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the key input and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change a display color for key display for each frequency of radiographing.
In this invention, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens because a display color of key display for each frequency of radiographing is changed, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-7) The medial image reading apparatus according to (2-6) wherein the control means calculates the radiographing frequency in a prescribed period periodically and executes control for changing a key display color.
In this invention, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens in the corresponding prescribed period because a display color of key display for each frequency of radiographing obtained by calculating automatically in a prescribed period of time is changed, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-8) The medial image reading apparatus according to (2-7) wherein the control means calculates the radiographing frequency periodically for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone and executes control for changing a key display color for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone.
In this invention, a display color of key display for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone is changed under a standard of the radiographing frequency obtained by calculating automatically for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone, and therefore, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens in the aforesaid period, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-9) A medical image reading apparatus provided with a detection means that detects key input of operations concerning radiographing or reading for a medical image, a display means that conducts key display corresponding to key input of the detection means, a control means that controls radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the key input and controls key display on the display means, and an executing means that executes radiographing or reading for a medical image based on the control of the control means, wherein the control means executes control to change an arrangement for key display for each frequency of radiographing.
In this invention, it is possible to discover a region to be radiographed in a target easily because an arrangement for key display is changed depending on radiographing frequency, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-10) The medial image reading apparatus according to (2-9) wherein the control means calculates the radiographing frequency in a prescribed period periodically, and executes control for changing an arrangement of key display.
In this invention, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens in the corresponding prescribed period because an arrangement of key display is changed for each frequency of radiographing obtained by calculating automatically in a prescribed period of time, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-11) The medial image reading apparatus according to (2-10) wherein the control means calculates the radiographing frequency periodically for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone and executes control for changing an arrangement for key display for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone.
In this invention, an arrangement of key display for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone is changed under a standard of the radiographing frequency obtained by calculating automatically for each prescribed month, week, day of the week and time zone, and therefore, an item of high frequency is displayed on the forefront screen among a plurality of screens in the aforesaid period, which makes key input concerning radiographing and reading to be easy.
(2-12) The medial image reading apparatus according to either one of (2-6) and (2-7) wherein a notifying means that notifies a change is provided, and when the control means executes control for changing a key display color based on the radiographing frequency calculated in a prescribed period or time, it is notified by the notifying means.
In this invention, key input concerning radiographing and reading is made to be easy because a display color for key display is changed for each radiographing frequency, and an operator can learn whether a key display is changed or not, because there is provided a function which notifies that a display color for key display has been changed automatically.
(2-13) The medial image reading apparatus according to either one of (2-6) and (2-7) wherein a notifying means that notifies a change is provided, and when the control means executes control for changing an arrangement based on the radiographing frequency calculated in a prescribed period or time, it is notified by the notifying means.
In this invention, key input concerning radiographing and reading is made to be easy because an arrangement for key display is changed for each radiographing frequency, and an operator can learn whether a key display is changed or not, because there is provided a function which notifies that an arrangement for key display has been changed automatically.
(2-14) An medial image reading apparatus that conducts radiographing and reading for a medical image, wherein there is provided a control means that controls operations under either one of a first operation mode to execute radiographing and reading after order information relating to reading is inputted and a second operation mode to execute radiographing and reading before order information relating to reading is inputted.
In this invention, it is possible, in the case of an emergency, to shorten a period of time up to the start of radiographing including a period for inputting order information, by using the second operation mode, because operations are controlled under either one of the first operation mode to execute radiographing and reading after order information relating to reading is inputted and the second operation mode to execute radiographing and reading before order information relating to reading is inputted.
(2-15) An medial image reading apparatus that conducts radiographing, reading and outputting for a medical image, wherein there is provided a control means that controls operations under either one of a first operation mode to execute radiographing, reading and image outputting after order information relating to reading is inputted and a second operation mode to execute radiographing and reading before order information relating to reading is inputted and to output images after the medical images read are confirmed.
In this invention, it is possible to input order information after grasping the contents of a plurality of cassettes subjected to radiographing even when a plurality of cassettes are used, because operations are controlled under either one of the first operation mode to execute radiographing, reading and image outputting after order information relating to reading is inputted and the second operation mode to execute radiographing and reading before order information relating to reading is inputted and to output images after the medical images read are confirmed.